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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been told Manchester United must finish in the top four and have a good run in one of the cup competitions if he is to stand a chance of landing the manager's job on a permanent basis.

United have won seven from seven under their interim manager but are set to face one of the toughest tests of Solskjaer's stewardship on Friday night when they go to Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Reds are also facing a tricky task to make it into the quarter-finals of the Champions League after being pitted against PSG in the last 16 but, according to Ryan Giggs, United will have to do well in one of the competitions if Solskjaer harbours ambitions of staying at United beyond the end of this season.

"I think he [Solskjaer] does need a longer run, but he's making a brilliant case for it," Giggs told ESPN."And if he carries on then why not [give him the job permanently?], because he's got that experience with [assistant] Mick Phelan coming in as well.

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"He's got the link to the club, Michael [Carrick] and the coaching staff, obviously Ole as well, and the players look like they are enjoying themselves, the fans are enjoying themselves.

"The whole place has had a massive lift, so if you can keep that, that says something.

"But he will probably have to finish in the top four and do well in the FA Cup or the Champions League and then it would be very hard for him to not get the job."

Ryan Giggs, right

Prior to United's win at Spurs earlier this month Solskjaer's achievement of guiding United to five wins on the bounce was played down - but Giggs doesn't believe that was fair.

"It's not easy and a lot of people have been slightly disrespectful, saying there's no pressure," Giggs said. "You put yourself under pressure. You're manager of the biggest club in the world, so you're going to put yourself under pressure. For him [Solskjaer] to, for any team, to win seven on the bounce is not easy, no matter who you are playing.

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"In there, he's had some relatively tricky games. OK, I think there's probably bigger tests to come, but the momentum that he's got [is there now].

"The biggest thing for me, personally, is seven or eight games ago, you never knew your starting XI.

"Now more or less, you may change one or two, whereas a couple of months ago I think everyone would be arguing, fans would be arguing five or six players needed changing. But now he's got a pretty settled side, other than tweaking the odd player."